Restaurant Operations

Stocking the Front of the House

The front of the house is the only area that customers see and it should reflect the theme or concept of your restaurant. It should be designed efficiently, balancing ambience with seating capacity. Certain pieces of front of the house equipment are also important in running an efficient restaurant. A well stocked wait station will have everything that servers and hosts need to provide excellent service, while the seating you choose, with help maximize the layout of the dining room, along with the dining room, rest rooms and waiting areas are other areas to think about when planning a restaurant dining room. There are also technical issues to consider when planning your restaurant, such as installing a POS (point of sale) system to track sales.

Front of the House Customer Service
Without great customer service, a restaurant doesn’t have a hope of succeeding. Train your front of the house staff to excel at customer service. When the inevitable complaint happens, be sure that your staff knows how to handle it. Also knowing how to handle problems that arise, such as a customer who’s had too much to drink, will keep everyone safe and happy. Actions speak louder than words, and that is certainly true of customer appreciation. There are countless ways you can show your customers how much you appreciate their business. And it doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money (or any money in some cases). For example, personal attention, especially by the owner or manager can go a long way in making customers feel special.

Front of the House Promotions
There are many types of promotions and marketing you can do to bring in customers and keep your front of the house busy all year long. Restaurant promotions, whether daily, weekly, or monthly are great ways to show customer appreciation and bring in some extra business at the same time. Promotions can range for a nightly happy hour to an annual customer appreciation day, with drink and dinner specials. Check out these popular restaurant promotions.
From buying the right equipment, to hiring the right people, a well-organized front of the house will help lay the foundation of a successful restaurant.

source: http://restaurants.about.com/od/backofthehouse/u/frontofhosue.htm